Safety pins: a pointed show of solidarity after Trump election

Enter the lowly safety pin. The safety pin — invented in 1849 by an American mechanic who needed money to pay off a $15 debt — uses a cleverly designed clasp to protect users from its fiendishly sharp tip. In the days since Trump’s election, people have begun placing a single pin on their shirts to convey a message of support — of safety, and protection — to minorities, women, immigrants and others who may feel threatened by the strident rhetoric that carried the Republican billionaire to the White House.